A nonprofit cinema in Florida’s Coral Gables has cancelled a private screening of a documentary about the death of Trayvon Martin, as told from his killer George Zimmerman’s perspective.
“Coral Gables Art Cinema was not aware of all of the details surrounding this private rental and has made a decision to cancel the rental,” the cinema tweeted on Wednesday.
The decision comes the same day that Zimmerman filed a $100 million lawsuit against Martin’s family and state prosecutors over claims that Zimmerman was defamed and the victim of a conspiracy and “malicious prosecution.” In 2013, Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges stemming from the 2012 fatal shooting of the 17-year-old Martin — a decision that led to the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement. (Zimmerman has claimed that he shot Martin out of self defense.)
The documentary, titled “The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America,” was originally scheduled for a Thursday screening and news conference at the Coral Gables Art Cinema. But according to the cinema’s co-executive director, Brenda Moe, tickets were not sold for the screening because it was a private event, and the event organizers were given a full refund.
“This was not a cancellation of a film. This was a cancellation of a private event,” Moe told the Miami Herald. “This was a private rental and we were contacted by a private party wanting to rent the cinema. And then a press release was put out by the party and the moment we read that we said we were not aware of the details and canceled the rental.”
Joel Gilbert, the director of the documentary, said he was “shocked and disappointed” about the cancellation, according to an email he sent to the cinema that was obtained by the Herald, and is now looking for an alternate location.